Letters to the Editor

July 1

Digital Dilemma
When Corey Pein interviewed me for his story on digital TV, he seemed to be itching for me to live up to his fantasies about who I am. When I didn’t conform—when I, in fact, advised him not to do a story because there wasn’t one—he manufactured some quotes and wrote the sensationalist piece he wanted to anyway.

Contrary to his assertions, I spend little time online and do not have a website. I am very careful with my words. I tell people—and I told Pein—what I know, what I don’t know and what I have reason to suspect. I have never told anyone that digital TV is definitely causing their illness. I have never told anyone that DTV is a “new” source of radiation.

Before I made any statements at all, I spoke with friends, questioned strangers, interviewed grocery store cashiers, talked to health professionals and placed one ad on the back page of the Reporter.

What I know is this: On Sunday, May 31, a large number of people in and around Santa Fe became suddenly ill. I do not have an explanation. I have good reason to believe that our electromagnetic environment changed, and I suspect, but am not yet convinced, that it was related to the transition to digital TV. Almost none of the “facts” about DTV cited by Pein regarding power levels, frequencies, etc. are entirely accurate.

I am still gathering information and do not have confirmation of a specific link between May 31 and DTV or anything else—as I tried totell Pein. However, there is no doubt in my mind that the general increase in digital transmissions has diminished the quality of life.Arthur Firstenberg
Santa Fe

Editor’s note: 1. SFR disputes Firstenberg’s characterization of the reporting of this piece. 2. The story does not state that Firstenberg has a website. 3. SFR stands behind all quotes attributed to Firstenberg in this piece.

Cellular Sense
My heart goes out to the woman who might have been having a stroke and responded to an ad that digital TV was responsible. We are so inundated with digital technology that a little TV is not going to make a difference. The picture in your commentary is only half right: A cell phone does not equal a microwave or a TV. You can’t cook an egg with your phone or TV. The old tale there’s not enough radiation to cook your brain is true. And it’s an archaic way of drawing conclusions that these do not affect the body. Radiation is not what the body is reacting to. The digital pulses are like Chinese water torture to the body. It can’t hear the voices, only the static. This causes sympathetic stress. Cells shut down, allowing health problems not directly related to “radiation” to occur. What would be helpful is for industry and government to acknowledge the non-thermal effects. When this is done, I believe we won’t need to turn off Wi-Fi or stop using cell phones to make everyone feel happy and safe. Technologies could probably be developed such that the body is not bothered by digital transmissions.Dan Stih
Healthy Living Spaces
Santa Fe

Egress Regress
Opposition to the NWQ project does not stem from racism, contrary to Mr. Fischer’s claim in Zane’s World. The NWQ itself looks like a promising and thoughtful development. If developments existed within bubbles, the opposition to this development would be largely baseless.

Examining the history of this project: Any solution that satisfies the Fire Department’s valid need to have two points of connectivity from existing roadways to the new development has come at the expense of compromising quiet residential streets with modest homes. Another valid point of concern is whether the new neighborhood can be successfully connected to the existing infrastructure.

Even if the second point of access to the NWQ is through an “opticon gate” that is closed to all traffic except emergency vehicles, there is no guarantee that a future City Council will not change its mind and open this egress up to regular traffic. One idea for addressing this concern may be for the city to donate the land these “emergency access roads” are built on to nature conservancy groups committed to making permanent covenants that the land between the NWQ and the communities below never be developed and, more importantly, the roadways through such lands never be used for through traffic.

Separate from these issues, development of the NWQ brings up several larger issues.

One can take many trips around here via car and get to “open lands.” But if one is on bike or foot, the choices for health-conscious Santa Feans not wishing to hop in their cars becomes much more limited. We are supposed to be the City Different. There is a certain wisdom in Councilor Patti Bushee’s desire to keep this beautiful tract of land, so close to our downtown and the existing northwest community, as open space. Why not develop bike and walking trails for all citizens to enjoy the magnificent views of these ridges? The NWQ makes a number of laudable advances in its usage and recycling of water, but it is quite conventional in its implementation of other green technologies that could vastly reduce each house’s carbon footprint. How can we do a better job in our building codes and require that all new housing include solar panels for electrical generation, water heating and newer green technology?

I ask that in the future, your publication more carefully investigate and verify whether the concerns of those opposed to a project truly stem from racism before leveling such a toxic charge. Hopefully your publication will also address some of the larger issues relating to development in Santa Fe in greater length in future issues.Walter Cohen
President, Cielo Grande Condominium Association
Santa Fe

Certain Solidarity
I was quoted as saying: “It kept coming up again and again, this frustration with the lack of a central organizing force for the LGBT community” in the article “Sexual Disorientation” by Dave Maass.

It is true I spoke those words, however, they were in the context of an hour and 15 minute phone interview with Dave. When I said this, I was referring to what I heard participants saying repeatedly about email communication they received from various LGBT rights organizations at the LGBT Rights Summit on June 6. I heard a few people saying they wished they could get one email informing them that Iowa had passed same-sex marriage rather than several from many different organizations, for example.

I personally am not sure how we can centralize that kind of information dissemination at a state-wide level. I was in no way referring to the hard-working folks at EQNM with whom we are collaborative partners. We are in total solidarity with EQNM and appreciate all that they do to help empower our youth in becoming politically engaged.Cooper Lee Bombardier
Santa Fe

The Reporter welcomes original, signed letters to the editor. Letters (no more than 200 words) should refer to speci?c articles in the Reporter. They may be edited for clarity and space. Include address and phone number for veri?cation purposes; these will not be published.